The Airdrie Academy pupils who missed out on the trip (Image: Tom Dick/Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser)

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DEVASTATED Airdrie school pupils were left in tears when their summer history trip to Germany was cancelled due to strike action in France.

Nineteen excited youngsters and three staff members from Airdrie Academy turned up at Edinburgh Airport looking forward to a four-day visit to Munich - only to be told their plane wouldn’t be taking off.

Their trip had been a year in planning.

And each pupil had to pay over £500 in expenses.

Now there’s uncertainty remaining when airline EasyJet will pay out refunds.

The group were among thousands of British passengers affected by a two-day protest by French air traffic controllers over budget cuts.

Rosemary McWhirter’s daughter Caitlin, 15, was one of the heartbroken pupils to miss out on the visit to Munich and was left thinking about what might have been.

Whinhall woman Rosemary, 33, said: “Caitlin couldn’t believe what happened and she came home very teary-eyed.

“She kept looking at a list of all the activities the pupils were due to take part in and spent the following few days, saying ‘I’d be there right now’.

“They were due to visit the BMW Welt facility, local ruins, former concentration camps and other sites.

“It would have been a really educational – and fun – trip for everyone involved.

“Caitlin was looking forward to it for nearly a year and I was so sad for her when she told me the flight had been cancelled.

“I can imagine something like this happening to adults, but not to a group of kids going on a school trip.

“We had to pay £550 for the trip, so it wasn’t cheap.

“The school are in touch with insurance companies to see about getting refunds but we haven’t heard what’s happening yet so it’s just a waiting game now.

“The school are also saying they are looking to possibly reschedule the trip but some of the pupils who were due to go have now left school so they won’t be able to go on any future trips.”

Airdrie mum Shirley Robertson’s 15-year-old daughter was due to fly out on the Airdrie Academy trip too.

Shirley said: “The weepy, gutted teenagers, along with their teachers, made their way back to the school to be picked up by parents.

“The kids were all hyper as the trip approached. They were inconsolable when they realised they weren’t going.

“They are going to try to re-book it for September.”

Airdrie Academy head teacher Ian Fannon said: “The pupils and staff left at 2pm and were back home by 6pm.

“Everyone was left very disappointed as a lot of planning had gone into the trip.

“We are looking into arranging another trip but it is very early days.”

A North Lanarkshire Council spokesman added: “We share the pupil and staff disappointment at the trip not going ahead.

“However, we would hope it can proceed at a future date.”

An EasyJet spokesperson said: “Passengers on affected flights can visit our website to receive a full refund by going to the ‘contact us’ section to complete an online claim form.